Switch



Jan. 20, 1931. E, N JACOB] 1,789,952

SWITCH I @2m/Moz F werd N JacnhL ya Patented `lan. 20, 1931 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFl-lcE EDWARD N. JAGOBI, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO IBRIGGS AND STRATTON CORPORATION, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE SWITCH T his invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in switches and refers more particularly to that type of switch employed with automotive vehicles and mountti ed at the lower end portion of the steering gea r to be operated from the upper end thereof by a controlling rod extended through the steering gear to the switch.

In structures of this character, the exterior terminals have been located at the lowermost portion of the switch which has been objectionable in that frequently the pan becomes indented and bridges the terminals causing a short circuit and this invention has as an object the provision of an improved switch in which this objectionable feature is eliminated and the terminals disposeduppermost and extended along the switch enclosing case but spaced therefrom whereby they are more accessible for the purpose of installation and repair and are protected from below.

Another objectionable feature of switch structures is that the stationary contacts within the switch casing are generally riveted or otherwise connected with exterior terminal members causing an electrical loss when the joint becomes loose or when corrosion sets up to form insulation between the parts, and this mounting bracket to define the definite limits of the switch.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of an improved switch structure having an enclosing housing, the end wall of which is formed up to provide a good bearing surface for a rotating driver to insure proper centering of the contacts and the invention has as another object the provision 1 Application tiled June 14, 1928. Serial No. 285,318.

consequent accurate operation of the switch.

Another object of this invention resides in the'provision of an improved switch structure of the character described having a steel plate which guides the contact members and has driving tongues cooperating with the fiber contact mounting disc to take thedrive and relieve the spring contact of all torsional stresses. j

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of an improved switch construction whereby the contact members and their yielding spring members are not disarranged when removed from the casing but are held to the contact carrying disc as a complete assembly to facilitate the removal of of the switch and its disassembling for the purpose of repairs.

A still further object of this invention re-v sides in the provision of an improved switch structure having a bridge member for the contacts for maintaining the same against disalignment by the friction incidental to their engagement with the stationary contacts as they are rotated from one position to another.

lilith the above and ,other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction. combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a View, taken through a switch structure embodying my invention, parts thereof being in section and parts in side elevation;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view looking at the switch structure from the left with respect to Figure 1;

Figure 3 isa view, partly in section and partly in elevation, taken through Figure 1 on the plane of the line 3 3; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the switch instrumentalities mounted within the case, the case, and its mounting bracket.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals designate likeparts throughout the several views, 5 designates a switch unit of special construction, to be later more in detail described, which is adapted to be mounted at the lower end of a steering gear element, not shown, in a manner similar to that illustrated and described in my copending application, iiled May 13, 1927, Serial No. 191,080, through the medium of a mounting bracket 6 of special construction having al central aperture 7 through which an actuating rod 8 extends to be connected with the switch instrumentalities, as later described. The rod 8 is rotatably mounted within the steering column, not shown, and has a suitable lever or other operating means, not shown, mounted on its upper end.

The switch unit consists of a substantially cup shaped housing or casing 9 having lugs or flanges 10 at its peripheral edge adapted to be passed through apertures 11 in a terminal carrying head 12 and then bent over to secure the terminal head over the open face of the casing for which it serves as a cover. The terminal carrying head 12 is of insulating material and has a plurality of openingsor indentations 13 therein in which certain stationary contact-s 14 are embedded to be engaged by movable contact members 15, as later described.

The contacts 14 are of special construction, being formed from a one piece blank or strip having an embossed portion to lit within the adjacent aperture 13 with one or more tongues 16 passed through the terminal head and struck thereover to prevent movement of the Contact, the strip then passing upwardly along the inner surface of the terminal head, as at 17. The strip is insulated from the adjacent peripheral edge of the casing 9 by insulating material 18 held in place by being clamped between the depending or angular portion 19 of a terminal bracket 20 having lugs or tongues 21 passed through apertures 22 in the terminal head and struck over, as best illustrated in Figure 2, the tongues 21 causing the angular portion 19 of the bracket member 20 to firmly secure the portion 17 of the contact strip as well as the insulating member 18 in place.

The extreme ends of the bracket members 20 have spaced upstruck lugs 23 to which the ends of wires, not shown, are secured by terminal screws 24threaded in the bracket members 20, the blanks from which the contacts 14 are formed passing over the top surface of the bracket members 20 in close electrical contact therewith, as at 25, so that the ends of the wires, not shown, secured by the terminal screws 24 are in direct electrical contact with the metal stri which is integral with the contact 14. T e terminal head 12 has its up er portion extended beyond the periphery o the casing 9 to mount the terminal bracket members 20 as clearly shown in Figures 1 and v2.

The bottom or end wall 26 of the casing 9 has its medial portion struck inwardly on two diameters 27 and 28 and is centrally apertured, as at 29, to receive an outwardly struck 'boss 30 formed up from the center of a switch driver member 31, the outer diameter of the boss 30 being of a size to be received in the casingL central aperture 29, the boss 30 having an inwardly extending llange 31 surrounding its central. aperture 32 which is of a diameter to receive a cylindrical boss 33 on an actuator 34. The actuator 34 is tubular and the control rod 8 extends therein and is locked with respect thereto by a jam nut 35, as more in detail illustrated in my copending application, Serial N 0.255,816.

vRigidly secured to the inner end of the actuator by swedging the material thereover or other means 36, is a plate or disc member 37 of a diameter to it within the large diameter 27 of the casing the plate having instruck tongues or lugs 38 which engage in slots 39 in the driver member 31 and extend therebeyond to engage in the notches 40 of a liber contact carrying disc 41, to be later described. The plate 37 has a portion thereof out away, as at 42, to form two shoulders 43, which cooperate with a lug 44, struck up from the bracket 6 into the diameter'27 of the casing instruck portion to cooperate therewith and provide a stop limiting the rotary movement of the actuator. The central aperture 7 of the bracket 6 being smaller than the diameter of the plate 37, the plate and the member 34 are freely rotatably mounted but held against axial movement by the transverse wall 45 extending between the diameters 27 and 28 of the instruck portion of the casing, and the bracket.

The fiber contact carrying disc41 is substantially the same diameter as the driver member and is secured flat thereon by tongues or lugs 46 integral with the driver member and positioned within notches 47 in the periphery of the disc and directed thereover so that the disc and driver are substantially one. The movable contacts 15 are substantiall lcup shaped enlargements embossed or struck7 upwardly from a single blank of metal 48 which is preferably `of light material and confined within each enlargement or cup' shaped portion 15 is an extensile spring 49 which engages the ber contact carrying disc to urge the movable contacts into yielding engagement with the terminal carrying head 12. The member 48 is a substantially free or floating member and' is held against rotation with respect to the fiber contact vcarrying disc by a spider member 50, which is preferably stamped from sheet metal having an enlarged control aperture 51 through which the member 34 passes and having a Aplurality of smaller apertures 52 through which the contact projections 15 extends,Y

A series of angular shaped legs 53 integral with the spider member embrace the peripheral portion of the contact carrying disc at notches 54, asbest shown in Figure 1, lto make the guide'50 rigid with the contact carr ing disc so that the rotational stresses are imparted to the contact members ldirectly at the contacts and their consequent disalignment due to frictional stresses is prevented. The driver 31 is apertured at its periphery, as at 55, in register with the notches 54 of the fiber contact disc to insure insulation of the member 50 from the driver. As the rod 8 is rotated from its control means, not shown, it will be apparent that the fiber contact carrying disc and' spider member are conjointly rotated by reason of the tongues 29 being locked with respect thereto and that the contact members 15 are free to move axially as they ride in and out of the depressions of the contacts 14 or thefree recesses 13 to provide the necessary detent action to define the definite positions of the switch.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a switch mechanism including an enclosing case, a terminal carrying head closing the case, switch instrumentalities within the case and stationary contacts carried by the terminal carrying head and adapted to be engaged by the switch instrumentalities, terminal members electrically connected with the stationary contacts and carried by the terminal carrying head and projected laterally therefrom to overlie the case.

2. In a switch mechanism including an enclosing case, a terminal carrying head closing the case, switch instrumentalities mount ed within the case and stationary contacts carried by the terminal carrying head and adapted to be engaged by the switch instrumentalities, terminal members mounted on the terminal carrying head and projected laterally therefrom to overlie the case, and means whereby conductors connected with the terminal members are in direct electrical connection with the stationary contacts.

3. In a switch construction, a terminal carrying head of insulating material, a stationary switch contact fixed to the terminal carrying head, a terminal member carried by the head, an electrical conductor integral with the stationary contact and extending along the terminal member, and means'carried by the terminal member for securing an electrical wire in direct electrical connection with the conductor.

4. In a switch mechanism including an inmember, a conductor formed of strip material extending along the terminal member and confined between it and the base mem- 1ber, said conductor being in'electrical engagement with the terminal member and having a portion extended beyond the terminal member to overlie the base aperture, and a contact formed in the extended portion of the conductor and nesting in the base mem# ber aperture.

G. In a switch mechanism including an `insulat-ing base member, a substantially angular terminal member having its vertical portion secured to the base member, a conductor of strip material confined between the terminal member and the base member and having one end portion extended along the horizontal portion of the terminal member in electrical engagement therewith and its other end portion extended over the .base member beyond the vertical portion of the terminal member, and an electrical contact formed in the end portion of the conductor extended over the base member beyond the terminal member.

7. In a switch mechanism including an 1nsulating base member having an aperture, a

substantially angular terminal member having its vertical portion secured to the base member, a conductor of strip material confined between the terminal and base members land having one end portion extended along the horizontal portion of the terminal member in electrical engagement therewith and its other end portion extended over the base member beyond the vertical portion of the terminal member, means carried by the hori- Zontal port-ion of the terminal member to secure a second conductor thereto in direct electrical contact with the first conductor, and an embossed portion struck inwardly from the portion of the first conductor extended over the base member, said embossed portion nesting in said aperture to provide a contact.

8. In a switch mechanism including an insulating base member'having an aperture, a substantially angular terminal member having its vertical portion secured to the base member, a conductor of strip material confined between the terminal member and the base member and having one end portion extended along the horizontal portion of the terminal member in electrical engagement therewith and its other end portion extended over the base member beyond the vertical portion of the'tcrminal member,l means carried by the horizontal portion of the terminal member to secure a second conductor thereto in direct electrical contact with the first conductor, an embossed portion struck inwardly from the portion of the first conductor eX- tended over the base member, said embossed portion nesting in said aperture to provide a contact, and mounting lugs' integral with the conductor adjacent the contact and passed through the base member to secure the conductor thereto.

9. In a switch mechanism including an insulating base member having an aperture, a substantially angular terminal member having its vertical portion secured to the base member, a conductor o strip material confined between the terminal and base members and having one end portion extended along the horizontal portion of the terminal member in electrical engagement therewith and its other end portionextended over the base member beyond the vertical portion of the terminal member, means carried by the horizontal portion of the terminal member to secure a second conductor thereto in direct electrical contact with the first conductor, an embossed portion struck inwardly from the portion of the first conductor extended over the base member, said embossed portion nesting in said aperture to provide a contact, mounting lugs integral with the conductor adjacent the contact and passed through the base member to secure the conductor thereto, and a sheet of insulating material secured over the portion of said conductor extended over the base member outwardly of said contact and confined between the vertical portion of the terminal member and the conductor.

l0. In a switch mechanism, an enclosing case having a centrally apertured boss struck inwardly from its end wall, a mounting bracket secured to the end wall of the casing over said boss, an actuator rotatable in the housing, a fiange carried by the actuator and confined between the mounting bracket and the shoulder at the inner end of the instruck boss to rotatably mount the actuator but restrain the same against axial movement, and a stop extended in the path of said flange to limit the rotary movement of the actuator.

11. In a switch mechanism, an enclosing case having a centrally apertured two-diameter boss struck inwardly from'its end wall with the portion of largest diameter outermost, a mounting bracket secured to the end wall of the casing over the instruck boss, an actuator rotatable in the housing, a flange carried by the actuator and confined between the mounting bracketand the shoulder between the two diameters of said instruck boss to rotatably mount 'the actuator'but restrain the same against axial movement, lugs struck inwardly from the actuator flange, and switch instrumentalities within the case and engaged by the driver lugs whereby rotation of the actuator operates the switch instrumentalities.

12.1In a switch mechanism, an enclosing case having a centrally apertured boss struck inwardly from the end wall thereof, an actuator rotatable in the housing, switch instrumentalit-ies mounted within the casing and including a switch driver, a central enlargement struck from the switch driver and rotatable in the boss struck from the end wall of the casing, and driving tongues carried by the actuator and engageable in driving recesses in the switch driver central enlargement.

13. In a switch mechanism, an enclosing case having a centrally apertured two-diam eter bossstruck inwardly from the end wall thereof with its largest diameter outermost, a mounting bracket secured to the end wall of the casing over the instruck boss, an actuator rotatable in the housing, a flange carried by the actuator and confined between the mounting bracket and the shoulder between the two diameters of the instruck boss to rotatably mount the actuator but restrain the same against axial movement, switch instrumentalities mounted within the casing and including a switch driver, a central enlargement struck rom the switch driver and rotatable in the boss struck from the end wall of the casing, and driving tongues carried by the actuator and engageable in driving recesses in the switch driver central enlargement.

14. In a switch mechanism including a member of insulator material, an apertured spider member connected with the insulator member in spaced relation, and a fioating contact member confined between the insula* tor member and the spider member and yieldably urged to project outwardly through the spider member aperture.

15. In a switch mechanism, including a member .of insulator material, an apertured lspider member connected with the insulator member 'in spaced relation, and a floating contact member having a plurality of projections thereon adapted to register with the apertures of the spider member and be yieldably projected therethrough.

16. In a switch mechanism, including a contact carrying member of insulating material, an apertured spider member connected with the insulating member in spaced relation, a floating contact member, contactors embossed from said contact member and registering with the apertures of the spider member tofproject therethrough, and spring means confined in the embossed contactors and engagingthe member of insulating material to yieldabl urge the contactors beyond the spider mem er.

17. In a switch mechanism including a stationary contact, a member of insulating material, a spider member connected with the insulator member `in spaced relation, a J floating contact member having a plurality of projections thereon adapted to be yieldably projected toward the stationary contact, and means engageable with the projections to restrain the same against sidewise movement.

18. In a switch including an insulating base member, a stationary contact extending out of the plane of the base as a terminal, there being an aperture in the base in which a portion of the contact lies, and means to clinch the contact to the base.

19. In a switch mechanism including an insulating member, a spider member connected with the insulating member, a. iloating contact member and guided for movement in the spider member, and means yieldably urging theloating contact member to project outwardly of the spidermember.

20. In a switch mechanism, including a member of insulator material, a spider member connected with the insulator member, a Heating contact member having a plurality of projections guided by the spider member, and means at each rojection for'yieldably rojecting `the same eyond the spider memr. f l

y21. In a switch mechanism, including a contactrcarryingmember of insulating material, a floating contact member carried by the. carrying member, contactors embossed from said contact member, and spring means confined in the embossed contactors and engagin the member of insulating material to yielda ly urge the contactors outwardly.

22. In a switch mechanism, including a contact carrying member of insulating material, a floating contact member carried by the carrying member, contactors embossed from said contact. member, spring means confined in the embossed contactors and engaging the member of insulating material to yieldably urge the contaetors outwardly, and means to turn with the contact carrying member and engaging the contactors to drive the same at their outer ends. Y

. 'wilil (be actuating nn-mllrr. wbt-roby the caslng, a

movable contactor is rotatable with the actuating member..

24. `In a device of the character described,

a casing, an actuating member rotatable in the casing, a terminal headcarried by the xed contact on said terminal head,

a movable Acontactor engageable with thev fixed contact and positioned within the easing, means'l drivingly connecting the actuating member and the movable contactor, said means guiding the movement of the movable contactor, and yieldable means urging the movable contactor toward the terminal head.

. l25. In a switch`mechanismincluding a" fixed contact, a movable contactor engageable therewith,v an apertured member V1u which the movable contactor is substantially floatingly mounted to be driven by said member into and out of engagement with the stationary contact, and means'` yieldably urging said movable contact 'outwardly through the aperture of said member toward the fixed Contact.

j In testimony whereof I'have hereunto af-VV ixed my signature. EDWARD N. JACOBI. 

